Florida Woman Ramona Lund, 86, Accused Of Beating Her 89-Year-Old Husband To Death With A Cane

Police say she is confused and possibly not competent to stand trial.

An 86-year-old Florida woman is accused of beating her 89-year-old husband to death with a cane, and police say that she is confused and possibly not competent to stand trial.

As the Pensacola News Journal reports, police arrested Ramona Lund, 86, after they came to believe that she beat her husband, 89-year-old Francis Joseph Lund, to death with a cane.

Neighbors first called the police when they noticed Mrs. Lund standing over the bloodied body of her husband. Believing at first that the man had fallen and that Ramona was trying to help him up, one neighbor attempted to perform CPR on the man while another called 911.

However, when first responders arrived, they found a walking cane covered in blood as well as blood in a bucket in the living room and on a nightgown belonging to Ramona. Police also allegedly found blood on Ramona herself, on her feet and hands.

As for Frances Lund, he had suffered several blunt-force trauma injuries, including bruises and indentations around his head, consistent with having been beaten to death with a cane.

Police arrested Ramona and took her downtown where she’s being held on $250,000 bail. Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said that Lund is the oldest person who has ever been arrested for murder in his county.

“We’re dealing probably with someone’s grandmother now.”

However, her attorney, Public Defender Bruce Miller, believes that his client may have mental deficiencies and has asked that she be evaluated within 48 hours.

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Johnson seems to be of a similar belief.

“Based on observations of my investigators, as well as other personnel, when you interact with her on a personal level, when you ask her questions, it’s clear that she’s confused. It’s important that, while we are going to focus on the mental confusion and that aspect, it’s important to remember and be reminded that she is charged with a very serious crime that has resulted in the loss of a human life.”

Lund’s attorney, for example, said that he had difficulty explaining his client’s rights to her. State Attorney Bill Eddins, for his part, says that during questioning, Lund didn’t even know where she was or what time it was.

“It is unusual (for the state to seek a competency evaluation). But it is my obligation to seek justice, and it became clear to me and my office that this woman had significant indications of confusion.”

Johnson says that if his client is found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial due to dementia, she will never be deemed competent for as long as she lives.